Is it just me, or are we not seeing hardly any ballroom people this year? And hardly any GOOD hip hop people??

Yeah, I noticed that too.

SYTYCD - I missed about the first 45 minutes of the show (working late, snarl), but I did get to see Brandon (?) who was phenomenal. Poor Anthony - I'd mentioned his earlier appearance to someone, and here he is back. I hope he finds his niche - this isn't going to be it.

TC thoughts:

Lisa really doesn't care, does she? The only challenge she really put her heart into that I can remember was when she got to cook for Ming Tsai. (It was Ming Tsai, right?)

Spike, whatever. So long you ginormous douchenozzle you.

I think my favorite thing about the top 3 right now (I'm assuming Lisa will go next unless one of the others chokes) is how decent they all are. I can't remember the last time I've liked almost all of the finalists this much just as people.

I think my favorite thing about the top 3 right now (I'm assuming Lisa will go next unless one of the others chokes) is how decent they all are. I can't remember the last time I've liked almost all of the finalists this much just as people.

I very much agree (as whiny as SOOOO many of the others were). Granted, I don't have other seasons of TC to go on, but it's definitely true for the few other reality shows I've watched.

Richard's calm self-assurance sometimes borders on smug, but that seems more to do with his opinion of his abilities; as a person he seems really nice (splitting that prize with Stephanie really won me over). Plus, he seems to know when he's out of his depth on something.

I agree.

I think the thing I like best about Richard is that he's always really putting his all into what he does, and he seems to try to find the upside in every challenge. He really won me over during the wedding challenge.

Stephanie is no-nonsense and focused on making the best food she can, each time, and she knows she's not a great Quickfire contestant, which I don't mind. She's more thoughtful about what she wants to make, and I don't really expect a restaurant chef to come up withe genius in 15 minutes if I'm ordering, you know?

Antonia is just so ... nice! And friendly and comfortable in her abilities and without a lot of the uber ego of a Marcel or a Stephen. Whatever she makes always looks like something I'd want to eat, too.

Chow.com's exit interview with Spike.

New Yorker profile Grant Achatz

Antonia is just so ... nice!

Except for when she's talking shit in her talking-head segments!

Maybe it's just the fact that I usually agree with her in those ...

I'm still bugged by Antonia (and Lisa, too, wasn't it?) opinion of Midwest palates. Goddamnit, we're not hicks, even though we don't live near an ocean!

I'm still bugged by Antonia (and Lisa, too, wasn't it?) opinion of Midwest palates.

There were also her complaints about Dale "only cooking Asian food" that bugged me. As Bourdain said, Asia is a BIG place.